BATMAN - GOTHAM KNIGHT (TWO-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION) (2008)

Batman - Gotham Knight (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (2008)

Actors: Kevin Conroy, Gary Dourdan, David McCallum, Parminder Nagra
Directors: Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Yasuhiro Aoki, Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kubooka
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: July 8, 2008
Run Time: 75 minutes

Movie: * * *
Disc: * * ½

The made-for-DVD animated release Batman – Gotham Knight is one of those movies that are easy to admire, but difficult to genuinely like.

Basically “A Day in the Life of Batman”, it takes a leaf from The Animatrix’s operating manual and tells several interlocking vignettes from the perspective of several anime directors and artists. The problem is that this fractured structure works against the film: as soon as you are getting into one “episode” Batman – Gotham Knight moves on to the next one.

It is all too easy to admire though: the animation is at times stunningly well done and detailed. While one may not agree with all the creative choices made (Batman’s Bruce Wayne alter ego as a typical youthful anime character comes across as too wimpy in some segments), the movie is always inventive and clever. Pity that it never builds up any real momentum.

Bat-fans (groan!) would definitely want to check it out. Parents should however heed the age restriction: this Batman isn’t meant for small children . . .